The more moisture there is in the air the more likely it is that you will get condensation', explains Chris Michael, Managing Director, Meaco. 'Moisture in the air comes from drying clothes in the house, boiling vegetables, putting the kettle on, bathing, showering, open flame gas style heating, damp clothing, breathing and the damp British weather.'

If you have a lot of laundry you need to dry indoors over the winter months, then we think thePro Breeze 20L Premium Dehumidifier with Special Laundry Modeis the best dehumidifier for drying clothes fast. The cheapest and smallest dehumidifiers on the market can often only extract 0.5L of water from the air per day – in many cases even less – but larger and more powerful dehumidifiers can extract up to 25L per day which can make a huge difference to your home's health if you struggle with damp issues and condensation. Extendable pole: A few models on our list come with, or are compatible with, telescopic or multi-section poles to help you reach high windows and skylights without wobbling up a ladder. On the downside, a pole can make the vac hard to control, especially if it’s heavy. If you do decide to install more insulation or double-glazed windows, this should be balanced with good ventilation in your home (as mentioned above), or all the extra energy-saving measures could cause damp problems to re-occur. Clearing condensation If you're wondering how to get rid of mould in a poorly ventilated room, or trying to combat excess moisture or humidity inside the home, then a dehumidifier can be a useful tool in your arsenal.Bathrooms are the most humid rooms in a home. One of the simplest ways to reduce condensation is to open a window when showering or bathing. But this doesn’t stop condensation entirely and isn’t practical during the winter. So, to increase ventilation, install an extractor fan. For best results, leave the fan running for an hour after the shower or bath, and close the internal bathroom door to prevent moisture from escaping into the home.

There are also granules and moisture traps that can help you soak up moisture in harder to reach areas and that actively trap and absorb all of the moisture in the air. A good moisture absorber in cars or a dehumidifier bag for cars will ensure that you minimise the risk of condensation in the future. As with everything, prevention is easier than working out how to get rid of damp. 'Once damp starts, it can sometimes be difficult to remedy the issues it causes, such as mould growth and structural damage', says Ian Henderson, Managing Director, Boiler Plan. This dehumidifier is designed for managing fairly low moisture levels in small rooms up to 15m² or 2200 cubic feet, so it isn't going to cope with major damp issues or be able to control humidity within an entire house like larger capacity dehumidifiers. That said, the ProBreeze 1500ml Mini dehumidifier still impressed us during testing, and as long as you don't expect too much of it, this mini dehumidifier has a lot of plus points, not least its affordability. The tank capacity dictates how much water the water tank of the dehumidifier can hold before it needs emptying. A larger tank capacity – such as the MeacoDry Arete One Dehumidifier's generous 2.5L or 4.8Ltanks – means you won't be emptying it as frequently.

For use all around the home

Most dehumidifiers have their noise levels listed in their specifications, although in practice we didn't find that much variation between models, with most falling somewhere between 35 and 45dB. Log in now or join Which? to see our full results and find out if any Karcher window vacs are good enough to earn our Best Buy recommendation. It's fair to say that most dehumidifiers aren't the most stylish of appliances, which is why the De'Longhi Tascuigo AriaDry Multi Dehumidifier is something of a breath of fresh air amidst the usual boxy white plastic designs.